It’s fantastic when you have a good choice of places to shop. It’s pretty annoying when you’re stuck with only a few major chains, so being able to shop at local and independent businesses is so much better. But there are things that might discourage you from using them. Maybe they’re a little more expensive or a little further away from home. However, don’t let small things put you off. If you choose to support local businesses, from clothes stores to restaurants, you can personally benefit in lots of different ways. Before you choose where to spend your money, think about these great reasons for supporting local businesses.
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Support Local Communities
Spending your money with local businesses means you’re supporting local communities. If you want to make sure your cash goes to other people in your neighborhood, choosing independent businesses is the way to go. People who run local businesses will often be involved in the wider community. They might team up with a local charity or make regular donations. Or they might offer their space for community groups to use, give out free stuff to those who need it, and more. By supporting them, you’re helping to keep your local community healthy.
Great Customer Service
Something you might notice when you choose local businesses is that you often get better customer service. You’re more likely to meet the owner of the business, who cares about providing the best experience possible. And if it’s not the owner you meet, it’s often employees who are treated better than they would be by an equivalent company run by a chain. The staff are more likely to be passionate about what they’re doing and more willing to put energy into providing excellent customer service. You can benefit from a unique experience with truly caring staff.
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Get Exclusive Rewards
Some local businesses are really straightforward with the ways they choose to reward their loyal customers. Choose to support a local business and you could find you get rewards such as discounts or freebies. Supporting one local business might even mean you benefit at another local business. At Cathedral Bistro, loyal customers of Cathedral Plumbing are offered amazing affordable prices on their food through the restaurant’s app. Many local businesses team up with others too. This means by shopping at one business, you could be given a discount or some other reward for another business.
Build a Stronger Local Economy
It’s not something you can necessarily see the benefit of straight away, but supporting local businesses means you can help to build a stronger local economy. When you put money into the local economy, it can lead to other great things. It means businesses are able to hire local people, who in turn are more likely to spend their money locally too. If you want to energize your local economy and build a healthy community, choose where you spend your money carefully.
Supporting local businesses doesn’t just benefit the local economy and community, but also has excellent personal benefits for you too.